- 2013 role: Pena will be the Astros' primary DH but could split time at first base with Brett Wallace.

Veteran gets fresh start

"There are so many things I have to improve," Pena said Monday at Minute Maid Park. "There are so many things I've been so good at, others I've been challenged with. The game has changed. So you adapt, and you make adjustments - sometimes you over-adjust."

Luhnow was quick to point out the bright spots in Pena's offensive production: 31.8 home runs on average the last six seasons and an established lefthanded bat for an American League-bound team. Factor in Pena's average of 93.5 walks the last six years, and the Astros saw a high-character player at affordable value with little long-term risk.

Still, the Astros are hoping Pena rebounds in 2013. The declining veteran is eyeing his own rebirth.

"I think this is a fresh start, new start, fresh faces, new energy," Pena said. "All the young guys around me - it's just going to be great for me personally as a player."

He was part of the miracle Rays, hitting a career-high 46 homers for Tampa Bay in 2007 and then finishing ninth in AL MVP voting in 2008, when the Rays advanced to the World Series.

Pena has long known Porter.

After being selected by the Texas Rangers with the No. 10 overall pick in the 1998 draft, Pena met Porter, who was playing for the Rangers at the time. Pena recalled Porter's hitting two home runs during a spring-training game and has never forgotten Porter's inner fire.

Now, the Astros' oldest player intends to bring chemistry, character and competitiveness to a club that has done little more than lose games and trade away veterans the past two seasons.

"Sometimes in baseball and sports we create a distance between players because everyone has their own agenda. … Why do we have to make this all about business?" Pena said. "This is about a group of guys that love the game."

Berkman still on radar

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Pena's signing Monday doesn't change the Astros' outlook on free agent Lance Berkman. Berkman hasn't decided whether he's playing in 2013, and he has drawn interest from stronger teams. Luhnow spoke with him last week and on Monday, and a meeting is planned in mid-January. If Berkman wants to return to Houston, a uniform's waiting.

Pena's primary position will be DH, but he believes he can regularly play first base if needed. Luhnow said Brett Wallace could split time at third, allowing Berkman to rotate between DH, first and the outfield if signed.